Rail brace



June 7, 1927.

J. G. MUELLER RAIL BRAcE Filed April 14, 1926 3790M ijQI/ELLER, M

Patented June 7, 1927.

nnrrsn STATES JOHN G. MUELLER, OF DAYTON, OHIO.

BAIL BRACE.

Application filed April 14, 1926. Serial No. 102,081.

This invention relates to rail braces.

it is the object of the present invention to provide a rail brace which can be readily adjusted to position the rails to the desired auge and to positively retain them in fixed ral relation to one another.

L is also an object of the invention to provide a standard rail brace and clamp equal adaptable to the different weights in a s, and the variation of dimensions in rail joint construction, or where the device used for purposes other than a rail clamp and brace; that it may be readily adapted to variable dimensions of the parts to be enga 'ed thereby.

a further object of the invention to pr v a rail brace having a minimum number of parts which will be easily assembled, strong and durable and at the same time economical. to manufacture.

it is a further object of the invention to provide means for positively locking the parts in clampingposition.

lieretofore, in braces of this type, it has been the practice to interpose the wedging members between the rail and the clamping members. My present invention consists in reversing this arrangement, whereby the clampingmembers are positioned on the tie rod between the rails and the wedgmg members.

in the accompanying drawings: big. 1 16 a brace applied to the opposite rails of a track.

of tl ail clamps shown in Fig. 1.. I

lieferring to Fig. 1 of the drawings 1 have shown the usual track equipment of two parallel rails 1 and 2 with my brace applied thereto. A tie rod 3 extends between and under-smith the rails and projects beyond the outeedges of said. rails. The ends of the tie rod 3 are screw-threaded, as at l, to a point well inside the rails to permit of applying clamping members 5 and wedging members (i on both sides of the base flange of each rail.

Each wedging or binding member 6 com prises an oblong block having engaging surfaces 8, 9 and 10, a. portion of the surface 10 being adapted to engage the bottom of the rail base. One end of the wedge block is inclined toform a bearing surface 11 which coartswith a corresponding surface on the clamping member to permit the necessary adjustment of these members to clamp the edge 16 and sides 17 thereof to engage side elevation of my improved 2 is a longitudinal section of one set rails. The other end of the wedge block is reduced, as shown at 12, and preferably square in cross-section to form surfaces to receive members of a lock washer hereinafter described. The clamping member 5 has a central opening 13 to receive the tie rod, said opening being slightly larger than the tie rod for the free and easy movement of the block on the tie rod. 1

Each clamping member 5 comprises a casting having one end and a portion of the bottom cut away to form an opening, as' shown at 14;, to receive the wedging member 6. The top portion is substantially h0okshaped having bearing surfaces at the outer the top of the rail base and clamp it. The space between the edge 16 of the hook portion of the clamping member and the edge of the clamping member is suflicient to receive the base of the rail to be clamped. The end opposite the end having the opening 1st is provided with a vertical wall 18.

The bottom 19 from a point adjacent the opening 14 extends upwardly at an oblique angle, as shown at 20'and forms a bearing surface'adapted to co-act with the bearing surface 11, to'clamp the rails of varying weights. In order to permit of this adjustment the clamping member is provided with an opening 21 considerably larger than the tie rod extending from the vertical wall 18 to the inclined surface 20; Thus when the clamping members and wedging members are mounted on the tie rod pressure'applied to the wedging members will cause the inclined surfaces 11 and 20 to move relatively to one another, the tie rod being free to follow the movement of thewedging members by reason of the opening 21 being larger than the opening 13. 'The vertical wall 22 forming the rear wall of the'cutaway portion 15 serves to engage the edge of the rail base when the parts are in clan'lping'position. f I

To apply the brace to two opposite rails nuts 23 are first run on the threaded portions of the tie rod. -The inner set of wedging members are then slipped over the rod after which the inner sets of clamping devices are adjusted loosely relatively to the inner flange of the rail. The outer sets of clamping devices'and wedging members are then placed on the rod and adjusted to the outer flanges 110 of the rails'by nuts 24. By tightening the nuts 2d the rails may be adjusted laterally inwardly to the required gauge. The nuts 23 are then tightened until the bearing surfaces of the wedging members are sufficiently urged against the bearing surfaces of the clamping members to bring the wedging members into firm engagement with the bottoms of the rail bases and the clamping members into engagement with the top and edges of the rail base. Thus it will be seen that the rail base is firmly held on the top and edges by the clamping members and on the bottom by the wedgingmembers.

A locking washer is used in connection with the nuts 23 and 24 to prevent accidental displacement thereof. Such washer may be made of bendable steel and comprises an an nulus 25 having projections extending at right angles thereto, the projections 26 being bent toward the adjacent nuts across twp opposite faces thereof and the projections 21 toward the adjacent wedging member across opposite faces of the square reduced portion 12. Thus the nuts are positively held against rotation and the clamps, wedges and tie rod are retained in fixed relation with the rails tions as may be necessary to adapt it to varying conditions and uses.

Having thus fully described my invention what I claim as new and desire to' secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a rail brace, the combination with a tie rod, of clamping and Wedging members each having inclined bearing surfaces and anopening to receive said'tie red, the open ing in one of said members being larger than the opening in the other to permit of ad justment of said members, said clamping members being adapted to engage the top and edges of the rail base and said wedging members thebottom ofthe rail base.

2. In arail brace, the combination with a tie rod, of clamping members mounted on said rod, wedging members mounted on said rod, and means for urging said wedging members into contact with said clamping members and the bottom of the ail base to clamp the latter.

3. In a rail brace, the combination with a tie rod, of clamping members each having an opening to receive said rod, wedging members having an opening smaller than said opening in said clamping members to receive said rod, said clamping and wedging members having inclined surfaces adapted to provide co-aeting bearing surfaces, and means for urging the inclined bearing surfaces of said wedging members against the correspondingly inclined surfaces of said clamping members to adjust them to one another to engage the rail to clamp it.

4t. In a rail brace, the combination with a tie rod, of clan'iping members each having a hook portion adapted to engage the topof a' rail base and having an opening to receive the tie rod, wedging members each having an opening smalier than the opening in said clamping members to receive said tie rod,.said clamping and wedging members having inclined surfaces adapted to provide co-acting bearing surfaces, means for urging the bearing surface of said wedging members against the bearing surfaces of said clamping members and means for locking said parts in adjusted position.

5. in a rail race, the combination with tie rod, of clamping members each having hook portion adapted to engage the top and edges of a rail base and an openingto receive the tie rod,'wedging members each having an opening smaller than the opening in said clamping members to receive said tie rod and a fiat bearing surface to engage the bottom of said rail, said clamping and wedging members having correspondingly i11- clined bearing surfaces, whereby said wedging members may be adjusted relatively to said clamping members to engage the rail and clamp the top, bottom and edges of the rail base.

6. In rail brace, the combination with a tie rod, of clamping members each having a hook portion adapted. to engage the top of a rail base a'ndhaving an opening to receive the tie rod, each of said clamping members having an inclined bearing surface adjacent said opening, wedging members each having an opening smaller than the opening in said clamping members to receive'sa-id tie rod and an inciined bearing surface adapted to co-act with the inclined bearing surface on either clamping member, a reduced portion on each; wedging member, nuts for adjusting said members relatively to one another to clamp a rail therebetween,

and a lock washer having oppositely disposed projections adapted to engage said nut and the reduced portion to positively retain the -members in adjusted position.

In testimony whereof, I aflizi my signature.

JOHN G. MUELLER. 

